Before reading the official despatches on the battle of Corunna it is
important to have some idea of the plan adopted by the enemy, and it is
with the greatest interest we read that,[32] “When Buonaparte received
intelligence that the British were moving to the Duero,” he said,
‘Moore is the only General now fit to contend with me; I shall advance
against him in person.’
“Orders were then sent to the Duke of Dalmatia to give way, if
attacked, and to decoy the British to Burgos, or as far eastward as
possible, and at the same time to push on a corps towards Leon, on
their left flank. And should they attempt to retreat, he was ordered
to impede this by every means in his power. The corps on the road to
Badajoz was stopt, and ordered to proceed towards Salamanca, while he
himself moved rapidly with all disposable force to Madrid, and the
Escurial, directly to Benaventa. Neither Buonaparte nor any of his
Generals had the least doubt of surrounding the British with between 60
and 70,000 men before they could reach Galicia.
“Sir John Moore, as appears both by his letters and his conduct,
saw clearly the whole of this plan; he had prepared for the danger,
calculated the time, and has acquired the glory of being _the first
General who has frustrated Buonaparte_.”
LETTER from Lieut.-Gen. SIR DAVID BAIRD to Lord Viscount CASTLEREAGH,
Secretary of State.
_London Gazette Extraordinary_
DOWNING STREET, _January 24, 1809_.
The Honourable Captain Hope arrived late last night with a
Despatch from Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird to Lord Viscount
Castlereagh, one of His Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State,
of which the following is a copy:--
HIS MAJESTY’S SHIP “VILLE DE PARIS,”
AT SEA, _January 18, 1809_.
MY LORD--By the much-lamented death of Lieutenant-General Sir John
Moore, who fell in action with the Enemy on the 16th instant, it
has become my duty to acquaint your Lordship that the French[33]
army attacked the British[34] troops in the position they occupied
in front of Corunna at about two o’clock in the afternoon of that
day.
A severe wound, which compelled me to quit the field a short
time previous to the fall of Sir John Moore, obliges me to
refer your Lordship for the particulars of the action, which
was long and obstinately contested, to the enclosed report of
Lieutenant-General Hope, who succeeded to the command of the
army, and to whose ability and exertions in direction of the
ardent zeal and unconquerable valour of His Majesty’s troops is
to be attributed, under Providence, the success of the day, which
terminated in the complete and entire repulse and defeat of the
Enemy at every point of attack.
The honourable Captain Gordon, my Aide-de-Camp, will have the
honour of delivering this despatch, and will be able to give your
Lordship any further information which may be required.--I have the
honour to be, etc.,